New England Revolution at Kansas City Wizards: Your Running Commentary

The unbeaten Kansas City Wizards put their perfect record on the line tonight as the short-handed New England Revolution travel to CommunityAmerica Ballpark tonight. Can the Revs overcome the absence of so many key players? Can the Wizards attack keep creating chances against a quality defense?

If you are lucky enough to be able to see the match tonight, and you plan on being online, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

CAC, I know, I know. You’d think OnGoal would get sick of losing lots of money. But instead they go out and spend a lot. Too bad the franchise wasn’t in a place where the fans would support the league a little more.

1-1 after a PK is rightflully awarded on a late tackel about half a step insided the box.

On the replay, Arena says the officiating wass great and that the advantage rule was give there and that the whistle was blown once KC did score a goal. The only problem is the ref blew his whistle before the shot was taken which ended up hitting the post.

What a joke (both the commentary and the ref who got lucky the shot hit the post and was played out by NE).

Nyassi is a player. People jumped off the bandwagon after last Thursday but he was definitely New England’s most dangerous player that night. Color me impressed (even if he didn’t have to do anything on the goal).

Cristman has been fairly quiet. The Revs speed on the outside- especially Khano Smith- has been the difference for me. Also, Marinelli looks really frustrated and López is barely getting any of the ball.

Is anyone else who is watching the mlsnet.com stream supremely enjoying the ridiculous talk from the commentators at the half??? All that down time, behind the scenes info we could never want to know? “Is that hot chocoloate? MMMMMM Boy” or “Is my tie straight? Is it straight? Alright.” ETC. Awesome.

I’m loving the MLS action. Its basically becoming an addiction. In what other sport could I be entertained by watching a team from Kansas City play New England. Mansally and Nayassi are impressive, similar to Dane Richards.

Steve, if they can’t fill a 12,000 seat baseball park, I’m not sure if they can fill any stadium. Having said that, the Cauldron looks like it’d be a fun place to watch a match. Too bad it’s wasted on a lot of apathy from the general public in KC.

Has anyone noticed the same trend I have in early MLS matches? That games have started wonderfully entertaining and free-flowing … then become extremely bogged down and tedious to watch. Great first halfs, terrible second halfs. Ugh. For instance, this game. Geez. My guess is because fitness levels aren’t at a premium in the beginning of the season.

Some other examples: Chicago against NE (boring second half); LA – SJ (boring second half). Umm. I can’t think of more, but there are more. I hope this trend doesn’t continue.

It’s tough to see much, but the game sounds pretty darn good; you can hear people in the stands, cheering and booing, in addition to the singing. Having been to a match at Arrowhead, i would say this is an improvement for sure. Speaking of roller-coasters and bandwagons, Kansas City’s play might have some people jumping off of theirs.

Haha, memrook, we had just the opposite take on the situation. I will say that the passes on both side weren’t hitting their targets making it choppy, but NE were taking their throw-ins quickly and keeping play moving when they could just sit on the ball at this point.

DCM – thanks. Since we’re moving this summer, I didn’t feel like paying for Direct Kick here, getting half a season, and then having to buy it again at the new house for the other half of the season, so I skipped it this year.

That crowd there was terrible. I don’t know what makes Ongoal think they can turn that around. KC has a very good team and still nobody goes. I know they will announce some bogus 8 or 9 thousand figure but they were lucky to have half of that there. Ongoal should move the team to St. Louis instead of wasting their money there.

Great gut check match for the Revs. The Gambians, as many of you have already touched on, are the real deal. Khano was Khano tonight. Matt Reis played the best game of his career, some real top notch stops. Good job for Igwe on his debut, he was a little careless in the back but didn’t make any major mistakes.

Without Wells, Twellman, Ralston, Albright and Larenowitz the Revs still showed up and won a big match!

As long as the ref doesn’t spoil the match it looks like the Revs will do okay.

To the comment above about games slowing down in the second half I think its down to tactics and situations.

New England last night 2 goal lead on the road shorthanded – clog up the midfield and kill the game.

Chicago – 4 goal lead at half up a man. Keep possession, run out the clock and don’t get anyone hurt.

LA – 2 goal lead against a tema with no offense same thing.

Its just smart ball and no different than what you see in any league in the world.

ManU played Derby a few weeks back and won 1-0, it happens and if teams jump out ahead to big leads they’re goign to lock it down. That’s why the games that spring to life in teh secondhalf are the ones like Arsenal-Pool the other day where its all still to play for late.

Part of the problem with the crowd was that this was a chilly night in the middle of the week (Wednesday night? why?) two nights after the REAL big deal in the area, the Kansas Jayhawk men’s basketball team, won the national championship in an epic thrilling overtime (read: late) contest. I’m originally from the Kansas City area and yes, KC is by far the smallest, weakest market in the MLS. Most people are barely even aware of the team and few care. It’s a pretty conservative area and most folks I know stick to the bigger mainstream sports. I also agree that a move to St. Louis may prove inevitable if they can’t get on the stick about moving forward faster with that Five Points stadium deal.

However, I would argue that the fans that DO support the Wizards are some of the most passionate in MLS (I’ve met several online) and the Cauldron seems to have a great set of supporters. The team has performed admirably throughout the years in spite of its shoestring operation on the frontier of soccer country and if it’s successful and hangs on in KC in the long run I see this team becoming a Newcastle, Green Bay Packers-type of organization for MLS. KC gives the MLS geographic continuity and is the MLS’s best opportunity to make inroads into mainstream Middle America. It will take time, patience and most of all SUCCESS but a strong Wizards team and organization will make the MLS a better product that runs deeper through the US sporting consciousness.

Speaking of playing in small time baseball stadiums San Jose should be watching because Buck Shaw probably won’t look too much better on TV either.

Attendance snobs, Wed game, Yankees playing our division leading Royals, torrential rain pour 10 minutes into the game. The entire crowd was up under the concourses to stay warm and dry. You know where the beer, food, and hot chocolate are. If your lady was with you, you were not in your seat tonight sopping wet.

MLS can’t move KC – It is not their decision – get over it. Club has proven they can average over 15k during a season when marketed properly. There is a buzz about the team here, capacity will be capped at 10k and change for the next 2 years. Please find another original argument until then as it only shows ignorance of the subject.

KC was outplayed by the Revs and outcoached by Nicol this night. Being field side, Revs just fought for the 50 balls harder.